‘You’ve Got It All Wrong’ – FG Hits Back at ADC Over Diplomatic Appointments

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been charged by the federal government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of causing fictitious political alarms about President Bola Tinubu’s delays in selecting ambassadors for the nation.
Alkasim Abdulkadir, Yusuf Tuggar’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, stated in a statement that the government would not be forced to make rash decisions about ambassadorial appointments by politically ignorant parties.
According to reports, the comment was made in direct response to the ADC’s earlier criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration for failing to designate ambassadors to Nigeria’s overseas embassies.

The ADC described the event as “embarrassing” in a statement released on Sunday by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s interim national publicity secretary.

Contrary to the ADC’s assertions, Nigeria’s diplomatic missions are still fully functional and successfully represented by seasoned foreign service officers, including seasoned chargés d’affaires, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Noting that ambassadors will not be appointed in a hurry for political reasons, it also stated that the ADC is ignorant about Nigeria’s foreign policy.

The recent ADC remark on Nigeria’s overseas representation and the speed at which ambassadors are appointed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is categorically denied by the Ministry of overseas Affairs.

The statement said, “The Ministry views the ADC’s statements as alarmist, politically driven, and essentially misinformed about the operational realities of international diplomacy.”

The Ministry further stated that President Tinubu is striving to guarantee that future postings are motivated by merit, competence, national interest, and strategic alignment in accordance with his Renewed Hope Agenda, and that ambassadorial appointments are a sovereign prerogative.

It was mentioned that Nigeria’s active global presence is demonstrated by its recent diplomatic initiatives under the direction of Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and its involvement in organizations like BRICS, the African Union, and ECOWAS.

Nigeria has strong external contacts, as evidenced by the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs’ recent high-level engagements.

“Appointing ambassadors is a sovereign function that should not be hurried for partisan appeasement or political expediency. According to his Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu is dedicated to changing the foreign service structure so that future postings are motivated by competence, national interest, merit, and strategic alignment rather than expediency or favoritism.

The statement further said, “Nigeria is neither silent nor inactive in international affairs.”

Venezuelan Deportees
The Ministry also denied criticism of Nigeria’s reaction to the U.S. proposal to deport Venezuelan prisoners to Nigeria and other African nations.

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The Foreign Affairs Ministry said that such communication must be clear and is a characteristic of modern diplomacy, despite the ADC’s labeling of Tuggar’s reaction in a TV interview as diplomatically irresponsible.

It advised the ADC against exaggerating diplomatic matters in order to gain political influence.

“Nigeria responded in a way that was transparent, moral, and in line with its sovereign rights. The idea that the Foreign Minister’s public statement of Nigeria’s stance was a diplomatic blunder ignores the realities of contemporary diplomacy, where openness and responsible communication are becoming more and more important.

“The ADC’s remarks demonstrate a lack of knowledge about foreign policy procedures as well as political opportunism. Partisan attacks should not be launched through diplomacy. Sensationalism and internal political point-scoring are too important to damage Nigeria’s reputation abroad, the Ministry said.